


What Might Have Been

by LuvBusters



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Betrayal, F/M, Jealousy/Comfort, True Love, past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 02:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Janine runs into an old flame who had broken her heart. Will she be consumed by the past or learn to move on?





	1. Old Habits Die Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon feels the need to step up his game with his relationship with Janine.

Janine had decided to stop by the bakery a short way from her apartment building before heading to work. The last few days had been long and hard; fresh donuts would be a good treat for the boys. Not to mention the enormous banana nut muffin she had her eyes on.

She had just finished paying and was headed for the door when a familiar face called her name.

“Janine?” 

Standing before her, on his way into the bakery, was a tall man (around 6’ 3”) with sandy blonde hair, slightly curly, brown eyes, and was of a moderate build; slightly muscular but not overly. 

“Mitch! Hi, how are ya?” Janine shouted. 

He gave her a quick hug, Janine able to smell his musky aftershave. It brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad.

He pulled away and said, “You look great! How’s it going?”

“Great! Things get pretty intense sometimes but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Janine said.

Mitch looked her up and down, his eyes lingering at her cleavage before trailing back down again. 

“Yeah, the Ghostbusters,” Mitch said, sounding just a bit jealous. “Must be a real adrenaline rush, huh?”

Janine briefly thought, “you have no idea,” her mind wandering to a certain physicist that she had her eye on. 

“Well, it was good to see ya. I’d better get going,” Mitch said. 

“Yeah, you too,” Janine said. 

“Here, give me call sometime if you ever wanna catch up,” Mitch said as he handed her his business card. 

Janine stuffed it into her coat pocket, waved and then left. As she drove to the Firehouse, her mind replayed the memories she and Mitch had shared. 

“Can’t believe it’s been eight years,” Janine thought. She sighed as she headed towards the office. 

*****************  
Janine had made her way to the kitchen, placing the box of donuts on the table. She had bought a separate, smaller box especially for Slimer. She had found that he left their food alone if he had his own to focus on.

“Mmmmm! I thought I smelled heaven,” Peter said as he came downstairs from the bunk room. 

“Dig in Dr V,” Janine said.

She made her way back downstairs to her desk. She hung her coat up on the coat rack, not noticing the business card that had fallen out of her pocket.

Egon was coming upstairs after checking the containment system. 

“Good morning, Janine,” Egon said with a smile. 

“Hi Egon,” Janine greeted him with her usual starry eyed look. “I bought donuts; they’re in the kitchen.”

“Thank you!” He said. Egon had quite the sweet tooth. 

Janine began working on a stack of files she needed to get updated. 

Egon was passing by her desk when he noticed the business card on the floor. He bent down to get it. He read the card.

“Janine, are you looking for someone to help you invest?” Egon asked while holding the card in her view.

“Dr V would have to pay me enough to have anything to invest first,” Janine said with a laugh. Then she noticed the card.

“Oh yeah, that’s an old friend of mine I ran into this morning at the bakery,” Janine said very non-chalantly, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. 

“Oh, alright then,” Egon said, handing her the card. 

“He told me to give him a call sometime to catch up,” she added as she took the card. She tossed it in her desk drawer and returned to her files.

Egon headed for the kitchen, trying to identify the emotion he was feeling. He didn’t understand why the thought of Janine meeting up with an old friend (who happened to be a guy) made him .....angry? Upset? Then it hit him: jealousy.

Dealing with his emotions was a relatively new experience for Egon. It had been two and a half months since he and the guys had saved Janine from the Makeoveris Lotsabucks. He had let his defenses down completely and finally admitted to Janine that he was in love with her. They had gone on a few dates, as his ghostbusting schedule allowed. But they hadn’t made any real major strides in furthering their relationship.

Janine was still working through insecurities that would crop up from time to time. So Egon thought giving her some space would help. 

“Maybe I should rethink that,” he thought.

As Egon reached the kitchen, Peter could see that he was preoccupied. Winston and Ray had dug into the donuts as well. 

“What’s on your mind, Big Guy?” Peter asked.

“I think I need to progress my relationship with Janine to the next level,” Egon said.

His three friends looked at each other, curious as to what Egon thought ‘the next level’ was.

“And what level is that, Egon?” Winston asked, grinning.

“Taking her to a nice restaurant and dancing or perhaps take in an opera,” Egon said. 

“How’s that the next level?” Ray asked. 

“Well, the only thing we’ve done so far is go to a science film and we’ve been out to eat at a few places; cafe, bistro, that kind of thing,” Egon explained.

“Do you hold hands?” Ray asked, smiling from ear to ear.

“Yes,” Egon answered.

“Did you put your arm around her at that boring ass science movie?” asked Winston, trying not to laugh.

“Yes,” Egon answered with a frown. He had thoroughly enjoyed the science film, and he thought Janine did, too.

“Have you kissed her yet?” Peter asked with his usual Cheshire-like grin.

Egon grinned and said, “Yes, I have.”

Peter’s grin changed into a leer as he asked, “Yeah but was it one of those lip locks that makes a girl wanna keep you overnight so you can make her, you know, feel like a woman?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Egon blushed and swallowed hard. “Well, no. Probably not.”

“You do that and you’ll have Janine eating out the palm of your hand!” Peter said.

Egon frowned again. “I do not want to base our relationship on sex.”

“Yeah Pete, that’s more your speed,” Winston said with a laugh. 

Peter stuck out his tongue. “Fine, don’t take my advice. But if you ask me, you need to do something that lets her know you’re serious and she doesn’t need to look somewhere else for happiness.”

Egon took that information and filed away mentally. “Peter does have a point there,” he thought.

He took his donut and coffee and headed to the lab. He had an unforgettable date night to plan.


	2. Well Made Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon plans a nice evening out but a late evening call threatens to disrupt it. What’s Plan B?

That Friday afternoon, Egon had asked Janine to go out that evening after work. He would even persuade Peter to agree to letting her leave early to have time to change. Janine was so excited, she squealed in delight, which came close to shattering the windows as well as Egon’s glasses. 

Egon took that as a good sign and smiled.

“I’ll pick you up at your place at 7:00,” He said. 

“I’ll be waiting,” Janine said softly and seductively. She gave Egon a playful wink.

Egon blushed and smiled before heading to the lab. 

As soon as they were out of earshot, Winston asked, “So, where are you two headed tonight?”

“An Italian restaurant - Mama Rosa’s,” Egon replied. 

“Ooh, That new place!” Ray said enthusiastically. 

“Yes,” Egon said, smiling.

Peter said with a grin, “And what are your plans for later?”

Egon gave a very uncharacteristic grin. “A walk in the park.”

“It’s supposed to be a full moon tonight,” Ray said with a sing song tone. He’s the hopeless romantic. 

“Exactly,” Egon said with a smile. 

“I’m impressed Spengs,” Peter said. “You’ve put some real thought into this.”

“I have. I just hope nothing happens to spoil it,” Egon said.

*******************  
Janine was getting ready to leave; Peter had agreed to let her go at 3:00 pm. The phone rang as she was about to leave.

“Oh shit!” she swore. “Ghostbusters!”

Janine took down the info then hit the alarm. As Egon joined the others already in the garage area, he saw the look on Janine’s face; she looked like she was about to cry. 

Egon rushed over to her. “Janine, what is it?!” He asked.

“This call is from Syracuse. You’ll never get back in time for our date.”

“What if Egon stays here?” Ray suggested. “It’s a Class 6, possibly 7,” Janine said. “You’re all gonna need to go.”

Egon didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to disappoint Janine, but he also couldn’t let the guys down. This call was too dangerous for the three of them.

Janine saw his hesitation and made the decision easy for him. “It’s ok, Egon. This is much more important. Go, we can reschedule.”

“Janine..,” Egon started.

She interrupted him. “Egon, please, it’s ok. Go.”

He joined the others in Ecto-1 and they drove off.

Janine picked up the phone to cancel their dinner reservations as tears started to swell in her eyes.

************* Since their dinner plans had to be cancelled, Janine decided to stay at the Firehouse. She could use the quiet to catch up on some work.

She was stapling some reports together when she realized she needed more staples. She pulled open her desk drawer to retrieve a new strip of staples when she saw the business card of her friend from the bakery.

“Hmmm, I’ve got some free time on my hands,” she thought. She dialed the number.

“Good afternoon, Stilwell Investments,” The secretary answered.

“Hi, could I speak to Mitch Stilwell, please?” Janine asked.

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“Janine Melnitz.”

“Hold just a moment, please,” said the secretary.

A few moments later, a male voice came on the phone. “Hi Janine! Great to hear from you!”

“Hi Mitch! I was wondering if you had plans tonight?” Janine asked.

“Not until now,” he drawled.

******************* Mitch had met Janine at a quaint little coffee house not far from the Firehouse. They sat talking over muffins and coffee.

“I can’t believe you didn’t have plans; it is Friday,” Mitch said.

“Well, I did but they had to be cancelled. Work gets in the way a lot,” Janine said, sulkily. She teared up for a moment but quickly held them back. However, Mitch noticed.

“Hey, whats wrong?” He said gently, reaching across the table and placing his hand on hers.

“It’s...it’s ok,” Janine said. “It’s just one of the occupational hazards of dating a Ghostbuster.”

“Wow! You’re DATING one of them?” Mitch exclaimed.

“Uh..Yeah,” Janine said, hating that they now had an audience. “Don’t yell.”

“Sorry, I just didn’t know you worked that close,” Mitch said, putting extra emphasis on the word close.

Janine rolled her eyes. “You have a lot in common with Dr Venkman.”

“Well, how serious is it?” Mitch asked. “I don’t want to worry about getting my ass kicked by a jealous Ghostbuster,” he chuckled.

Janine smiled. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Egon’s not like that.”

“Oh! Dr Spengler?” Mitch said with a sneaky leer. “You’ve got a thing for tall guys, don’t cha?”

Janine blushed. “Maybe,” she giggled.

“He’s a bit taller than me but I could still take him,” Mitch said with a grin.

Janine looked at him, a small frown starting to form. “It’s not like that.”

“What’s it like then?” Mitch asked.

“It’s complicated,” Janine said. She looked down, staring at her coffee cup, her hands cupped around the mug.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to push it,” Mitch apologized.

“It’s ok. So, what’s going on with you?” Janine asked as she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

*********** Janine was driving back to her apartment after she had spent the previous two hours at the coffee house with Mitch. She couldn’t help but think back to what Mitch had said.

“What’s it like then,” he had asked.

“It’s complicated,” Janine had said.

She then tried to figure out exactly what kind of relationship she and Egon did have. She thought back to the situation where he had saved her from the Lotsabucks by admitting that he was in love with her. They had gone on a few dates, they had kissed but nothing much past that.

“This is ridiculous,” she thought. “I love Egon. Sure, we’ve gotten off to a slow start but that doesn’t mean I need to go running back to my ex-fiancé.”

She showered, had a glass of wine, and tried to get some rest before work the next day.


	3. Be True to Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Janine take a serious look at their relationship.

The guys had returned to the Firehouse in the wee hours of the next morning, fully exhausted. It wasn’t surprising to them that Janine didn’t stick around like she usually does. When they work that far away, she doesn’t usually camp out. 

Winston and Ray took the traps down to the containment unit. Peter and Egon were unloading the gear and charging the packs. Peter had noticed Egon had been unusually quiet on the way back; he was sure it had something to do with Janine.

“Spill it, Big Guy,” Peter said. “You’ve been brooding all the way home.”

Egon looked at Peter, a very defeated look on his face.

“I had the perfect evening planned. I wouldn’t blame Janine for being upset.”

“Nah, I’m sure she understood,” Peter replied.

“This isn’t the first time our plans have been disrupted,” Egon pointed out. 

“Well, sit her down and talk to her. Let her know you do love her and really want to spend time with her,” Peter suggested. “Make sure she knows you’re not just blowing her off.”

Egon nodded, heading upstairs. “I will, first thing in the morning.”

****************  
Janine came in the next morning. She obviously didn’t sleep well the night before. Even with a full face of makeup on, her eyes were bloodshot and had slight signs of dark circles underneath her eyes. 

Egon was waiting for her at her desk. When he saw her face, he was immediately taken back. 

“Janine! What’s wrong?! Did you sleep at all last night?” Egon asked, standing up and rushing to her.

“Not much,” Janine replied. “I never sleep good when you guys are out far away on calls. But...,” Janine’s voice trailed off.

“But what?” Egon asked, seriously concerned. 

“I have to admit, I called my friend Mitch yesterday evening and we caught up over some coffee.” 

She dared to look Egon in the eye, only to see that his expression had changed from concerned to the beginning phases of anger.

Janine swallowed hard and continued.

“We just talked. I went home alone. Nothing like that happened.”

Egon’s expression softened but just a bit. He was trying very hard to not jump to conclusions. He trusted Janine implicitly and had decided to hear her out before speaking.

Janine went on, “we just talked, mostly about what we’ve been up to over the last eight years. I did tell him that you and I are dating but that it’s complicated. That got me to thinking why is it complicated? I mean, I know the job comes first; I just have to wonder where do I come in after that?”

She had tears in her eyes as she forced herself to look at Egon.

He looked back at her, his eyes softening, his heart aching that she didn’t know the answer to that question. And what made him feel worse was the fact that he knew he hadn’t done anything to help her know the answer.

He took her hands in his.

“Janine,” he began. “First of all, I am deeply sorry that I don’t tell you often enough that I love you. I do love you; you are truly the love of my life. Second, I don’t ever want you to feel like you come after the job. Yes, I do have to spend a lot of time working but I also need to do a better job of balancing my time with you.”

Tears slowly slid down Janine’s cheeks. “Oh Egon, I do love you too. And I shouldn’t have met with Mitch. I was just lonely and disappointed; I didn’t know what else to do. But I would NEVER cheat on you or do anything to hurt you. I don’t know why I agreed to see him. I mean, I know what kind of guy he is..,” her voice trailed off. 

“What do you mean?” Egon asked, slightly alarmed.

“You remember me telling you guys about my ex-fiancé? That I walked in on him fooling around with another girl?” Janine reminded him.

“Yes,” Egon replied.

“Mitch is that guy,” Janine said slowly.

Egon stepped back a few steps, letting go of Janine’s hands. He wasn’t sure what to think about this bit of new information. 

“Egon, PLEASE!” Janine pleaded, tears streaming down her face. 

“You said nothing happened,” Egon said slowly, his eyes starting to have a cold glare.

Janine looked Egon straight in the eyes and said, “I promise - nothing happened. We talked over a muffin and some coffee, then he went his way and I went mine. I would NEVER do that to you, Egon. I swear it.”

Egon’s expression shifted yet again. His features softened, the cold glare in his eyes changing to a warm glow. He smiled and walked back up to Janine. He grabbed her, pulling her in for a tight embrace, kissing her on the lips passionately. 

Once they came up for air, Janine smiled with a slightly predatory look on her face. 

“But I can guarantee something WILL happen if YOU care to escort me home?” She said seductively. 

Egon blushed but didn’t back away. “I prefer a proper date first,” he whispered. 

Janine smiled from ear to ear. “You set it up; hopefully it won’t get spoiled again?”

Egon nodded. “I will and unless it’s Gozer returning for a rematch, nothing will keep me from spending time with you.”

He gave Janine another quick kiss on the lips before turning and heading for the lab. 

“I’ll see you later,” he whispered.

“You sure will,” Janine promised.

As Egon entered the lab, he quietly closed the door behind him and picked up the phone.

****************  
Shortly after lunch that day, a florist came into the Firehouse. Janine looked up from her work and was surprised to see a beautiful bouquet of two dozen red roses coming her way.

“I’m looking for a Janine Melner?” The delivery guy asked.

“It’s Melnitz and that’s me!” Janine said excitedly. 

The delivery guy presented Janine with the roses, then bid her a nice day. Janine barely heard him as she was inspecting the flowers. She pulled the card off and read it. Her expression quickly turned into one of horror. The card read:

“Janine, it was nice to see you last night. I was hoping we could meet again and pick up where we left off? Call me, Mitch”

“Oh fuck,” Janine muttered.


	4. Love Finds a Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Janine clean up the mess between Egon and Mitch or will she lose both?

Peter walked over to Janine’s desk area from where his office space was behind hers. He spotted the roses immediately.

“Whoa! Egon’s pulling out ALL the stops! How many brownie points does this get him?!” Peter asked excitedly.

“Dr V,” Janine started.

“Hey Spengs! Good job with the flowers!” Peter yelled. 

“PETER!” Janine shouted.

“What?!” He replied.

“They’re NOT from Egon!” she said between clenched teeth. 

“Ohhhh,” Peter said, realizing what was about to happen. “Better not let Egon know.”

Janine just glared at him.

“Good luck,” Peter whispered as he saw Egon coming downstairs. He then made his way back around the filing cabinets to his office space, walking rather quickly.

Egon walked up to Janine’s desk, inspecting the flowers. The cold glare had returned to his eyes. 

Janine handed him the card; she hoped her up front honesty would help diffuse the situation.

Egon read the card, then handed it back. He actually looked like he was shaking with anger.

“I thought you said nothing happened?!” He said, his voice slightly rising.

“It didn’t!” Janine insisted. “He’s probably just assuming it will, but it won’t!”

Egon turned to go back upstairs. He stopped halfway up the stairs, looking back at Janine.

“I’ll cancel the dinner reservations I made earlier for tonight,” Egon said icily.

Janine took the vase of flowers and chunked them into the trash can, then collapsed into her desk chair. As she sat there, holding her head in her hands, sobbing hard, Peter came up beside her.

“I’ll help smooth things over,” he whispered.

Peter took the stairs two at a time, trying to catch Egon before he made that phone call. He barged into the lab.

“Put down that phone!” He shouted.

“I’m on hold with the restaurant,” Egon said annoyed. “What do you want?”

Peter reached over and clicked the phone, disconnecting the call.

Egon hung up the receiver. “What are you doing?!” He yelled.

“Keeping you from making a big mistake!” Peter said.

“And hows that?” Egon asked, getting even more annoyed.

“I don’t know what you and Janine discussed earlier but it sounds like you think she did something with another guy and she’s denying it?”

“Very perceptive,” Egon said icily.

“If Janine said nothing happened, then nothing happened. She loves you Egon and I know you love her too,” Peter insisted.

Egon’s eyes changed from cold to almost tears. “She ran into an old friend,” Egon explained. “After we left on our call to Syracuse, she decided to meet him for coffee. She said afterwards, they went their separate ways.”

“You don’t believe that?” Peter asked.

“I didn’t at first but now this,” Egon said, gesturing towards the door.

“So you’ve got some competition,” Peter said non-chalantly.

“He’s her ex-fiancé!” Egon admitted.

Peter’s expression didn’t change. “Doesn’t matter. She obviously still wants you.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Egon asked, throwing up his arms in exasperation.

“If it really bothers you that much,” Peter said, “do you know where the guy works?”

“Stilwell Investments” is what the business card said,” Egon said.

“Then why not pay the guy a visit?” Peter suggested, with a leer on his face, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You’re suggesting I go beat him up?!” Egon said in slight horror. “I’ve never picked a fight in my life! I’ve also never won one!” 

“Relax Spengs,” Peter drawled. “He doesn’t know that.” He wiggled his eyebrows again.

Finally understanding Peter’s point, Egon nodded, smiling mischievously.

**************** Egon waited until Janine left for lunch, then caught a cab to Stilwell Investments. He walked casually and confidently up to the secretary’s desk.

“I’d like to see Mr Stilwell, please,” Egon stated flatly.

“I’m sorry, sir, Mr Stilwell is in a meeting,” she answered.

“That’s quite alright. I won’t be long,” Egon said, quickly making his way to the office.

The secretary tried to stop him but thanks to his long legs, Egon was able to close the distance to the office in just a few steps. He opened the door, stepping into the office.

“May I help you?!” Mitch said annoyed.

“I would like a moment, if you don’t mind?” Egon said coldly.

“Well, as you can see, I’m in the middle of something!” Mitch almost shouted.

Egon stepped closer and fixed Mitch with a stare that could’ve sent him straight to the Netherworld.

“I insist,” Egon said.

Mitch, clearly alarmed by the subtle yet profound threat, cleared his throat.

“Ah, gentlemen, if you would please excuse me and .....?” he looked questionly at Egon.

“Dr Egon Spengler.”

Mitch turned two shades of pale. The men left the office, closing the door behind them.

“What can i do for you, Dr Spengler?” Mitch asked.

“Stay away from Janine,” Egon said bluntly.

“Look,” Mitch explained. “You don’t have to worry about that. I tried something, it didn’t work. I enjoyed the talk I had with her last night at the coffee shop. I was hoping we could maybe reconnect, I’m not gonna lie. But it was pretty clear that wasn’t going to happen.”

“How so?” Egon asked, raising one eyebrow.

Mitch continued, “Janine tried to keep the conversation on neutral topics but in the end, she always ended up circling back to you.”

Egon smiled, feeling satisfied about the fact that Janine really had been honest with him.

Mitch went on, “She truly loves you, man. Don’t lose her like I did.”

Egon thanked him, and left the office. He thought about apologizing for interrupting his meeting but decided not to. He returned to the Firehouse feeling very good about everything.

As Egon approached Janine’s desk, he realized she hadn’t gotten back from lunch. So, he gently placed the bouquet of lilies he had bought for her on his way back on her desk. He picked up a pen and post it note and left a quick note beside them.

He then went upstairs to his lab, smiling.

***************** Janine returned from lunch fifteen minutes later. She had stopped by the office supply store on her way back from lunch.

She saw the lilies and squealed with delight. Then she saw the note,

“Please accept these flowers as my sincere apology for our disagreement earlier. Meet me at Mama Rosa’s tonight at 7:00.”

It was simply signed, “E.”

Janine shouted, “Dr V, I’m gonna need to leave early!”

******************** Janine’s cab pulled up outside the restaurant promptly at 7:00 pm. Egon was standing outside the door. He quickly walked up to the cab, opening the door for her.

“Why, thank you, Dr Spengler,” Janine said, smiling brightly.

Egon held out his hand, helping her out of the cab, smiling brightly back at her.

“My pleasure, Ms Melnitz,” he replied.

He then escorted her to the restaurant. They were quickly seated at a small table in a secluded little spot towards the back.

“Ooh, very private,” Janine cooed.

“I wanted it to be quiet,” Egon said with a smile.

They placed their order and then smiled at each other from across the table. They each sipped their water.

“So I guess I’m forgiven?” Janine asked quietly.

“Of course, as am I?” Egon asked.

“Of course,” Janine replied.

They enjoyed their dinner, talking about little things not related to work or ex-fiancés or anything negative.

Afterwards, they walked through the park, holding hands, enjoying each other’s company.

Finally, Egon and Janine caught a cab back to her apartment. Egon paid the driver, then walked Janine to her apartment door.

As she unlocked the door, she turned to Egon and asked, “Do you wanna come in?” She had a seductive smile on her face.

Egon smiled back at her with a naughty leer and gave her the deepest, most passionate kiss he’d ever given her. He even slipped in a little tongue.

As they slowly broke the kiss, Janine pulled him inside her apartment, shutting and locking the door.

Egon smiled again with the same naughty leer and asked, “Does this mean you want me to stay and...ahh...make you feel like a woman?”

Janine giggled. “You’ve been taking advice from Dr V again, haven’t you?” 

“Is that a problem?” Egon asked, grinning mischievously.

“Not at all,” Janine purred.

She then pulled him towards her bedroom, anxious for the heavenly experience she was about to have with her one true love.


End file.
